“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
—Ephesians 2:8–9

Sometimes people are skeptical of the word theology. They think focusing on theology will cause their faith to become dry and stale. But theology isn’t a bad word; rather, it’s the system through which we understand truth. In fact, correct theology is necessary because our theology—the way we think about God—defines how we relate to Him.

Today’s verse encapsulates a foundational theological concept: we are saved by grace through faith, and the faith that saved us didn’t come from us; it’s the gift of God. The Lord relates to us by grace. It’s His unmerited favor upon us that has brought us into a relationship with Him. Some world religions believe God relates to people based on their works. But Yeshua dying on the cross to save us right where we are shows us that God doesn’t love us based on our works. He loves us based on His grace; He created us, and He loves us where we are. The Scripture says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). He truly loves us and is fond of us.

To grasp this is fundamental, because if you don’t understand this, you’ll run from God when you sin. You’ll live in shame and isolation. But when you understand the unmerited love of God that has been poured out upon your life, you’ll be able to be open and transparent before God, which is necessary to build a relationship with Him.

Paul says the faith that saved us isn’t something we manufactured; it is a gift from God. In other words, God desires us so much that He even gave us the ability to believe in Him. So, beloved, know today that God loves you. He loved you so much that He gave His only begotten Son, not only to save you from your sin but so that He could be with you forever. Messiah Jesus didn’t die just to forgive you; He died to marry you. (See Revelation 19:9.)

Father God, thank You for making it possible for me to spend eternity with You. I know that it wasn’t because of anything I’ve done but it’s because of Your grace that I am saved. Help me to always remember that our relationship is not based on my works but on Your unmerited love and gentleness toward me.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Divine Truth (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2021), Used by permission.